Building    From 1859  To 1868

Atlas Dyeworks

Categories: Industry, Science

The Simpson, etc. plaque commemorates the Dyeworks which were at Victory Place 1859 - 68. This page refers to that site but also refers to the Hackney Dyeworks to which Atlas expanded. The photo shows the buildings in Hackney, not Victory Place, of which we can find no image.

Following the work done with synthetic aniline dyes by Perkin (discovery of mauve in 1856) the chemists, Maule and Nicholson, working in Simpson's Victory Place laboratory in 1859, created a dye with a red-purple colour which they called "roseine". The firm began manufacturing it and in 1860 it was renamed "magenta" after the Battle of Magenta, 1859. A commercial success.

In 1868 Maule and Nicholson retired and the firm became Brooke, Simpson & Spiller.

From Homunculus we learn: "In 1873 William Perkin sold his dye company to ... Brooke, Simpson and Spiller."

The RSC Historical Group Newsletter, February 2010, says "... the dyeworks soon outgrew the Victory Place site, and a bigger workplace was built at Hackney, with a research block, a tall central chimney and a giant Atlas figure proudly proclaiming aloft their successful pioneering venture." In 1987 The Hackney Society lists The Atlas Works, Berkshire Road, as a "building at risk". That source says it was built in 1863 and that in 1983 part of it was demolished, including the frontage "topped by a large stone statue of Atlas."

1910-58 the Atlas Works was occupied by The British Patent Perforated Paper Company, one of the first British companies to manufacture continuous and perforated toilet paper, Bronco.

CgMs, an archaeological desk-based assessment, is a planning report which includes the history of the area. It contains a various maps etc. which make it clear that Atlas Works was on the northern half of the block contained by Berkshire Road, Wallis Road, the River Lea Navigation and an unnamed access road.

We can discover nothing about the fate of Atlas himself.

And next door to the Atlas works was the Parkesine factory.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Atlas Dyeworks

Commemorated ati

Bronco toilet paper

Bronco, the first perforated toilet paper, was developed here. The firm origi...

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Simpson, Maule and Nicholson

The rather odd wording of the plaque is explained by an item in the RSC Histo...

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Other Subjects

Sir Otto Beit

Sir Otto Beit

Financier, philanthropist, and art connoisseur.  Born Berlin.  Younger brother to Alfred and made his fortune the same way: mining diamonds.  Came to London in 1896 and took British citizenship.  G...

Person, Industry, Philanthropy, Race Issues, Germany

1 memorial
Sir Julius Wernher

Sir Julius Wernher

Co-founder and funder (with Alfred Beit) of the Royal School of Mines building. Born Damstadt, Germany, came to London in 1871, and, acting as a diamond agent, went to Kimberly in South Africa. Re...

Person, Industry, Philanthropy, Race Issues, Germany, South Africa

1 memorial
Sir Henry Wellcome

Sir Henry Wellcome

Born Wisconsin, USA, moved to London in 1880 for business reasons. Pharmacist, founder of the Wellcome Trust and Foundation. His collection of books & artefacts relating to the history of medic...

Person, Benefactor, Industry, Medicine, Museums / Libraries, USA

1 memorial

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W. S. Gilbert

W. S. Gilbert

Playwright, lyricist & poet. Born 17 Southampton Street as William Schwenck Gilbert. The Savoy Operas were written by Gilbert, with Sullivan providing the music and Richard D'Oyly Carte providi...

Person, Music / songs, Poetry, Seriously Famous, Theatre

7 memorials
Sir William Crookes

Sir William Crookes

W11, Kensington Park Gardens, 7

Crookes had a private laboratory here made possible with the inheritance from his father. At least some of the seances that he investiga...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
John Edward Walford

John Edward Walford

Chairman of the Committee to build The City of London School near Blackfriars Bridge, 1880. Died Surrey. We found this at CuriousFox: I am looking for any information on Edward and Sarah WALFORD (...

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial